Oenocarpus bacaba

Abstract

The most important product of this palm is the fruit which is highly prized for making juice. The enormous fruit bunches, similar in shape to horse tails, are cut in upland forests in the northern and western parts of the Amazon Basin. The palm also occurs a little south of the Amazon River in certain places. Some stands of the palm in forest are likely vestiges of human intervention. Indeed, the palm has a close affinity with some archaeological sites that contain anthropogenic dark earth. In addition to fruit, palmito is harvested from the palm and the strong wood is used to make bows. Petiole strips are used to make a sleeve-like press for manioc dough and the fronds are fashioned into make-shift baskets for carrying produce and game.